5 Global Yoga Retreats Offering the Ultimate Rest and Relaxation

Over recent years, traveling to fulfill a passion, satisfy an intellectual curiosity, or embrace a cause has surged in popularity. As the perfect antidote to the digital vortex, wellness travel has entered the mainstream with more and more destination yoga retreats catering to travelers seeking a tranquil escape or a chance to reconnect (and become a bit more bendy in the process) as well as hardcore yogis seeking to attain samadhi (spiritual enlightenment.)

From a bohemian hilltop enclave in sun-soaked Spain to an ashram reimagined in India, or the carefree aesthetic of Mexico’s Riviera Maya, yoga retreats led by top quality instructors tailor programs to every level and dispensation. You can shed some pounds, recalibrate, adopt a more conscious, soulful way of living, or just go with the flow. Here are five picks of yoga retreats to find that inner omm.

KaliYoga – Andalucia, Spain

KaliYoga forms the perfect bridge between a structured yoga retreat and a chilled out vacation. Set in the rugged Sierra Nevada — a Unesco biosphere reserve that lends itself well to olive picking, horseback riding, and hiking — this bohemian, holistic retreat is situated close to the lively little Andalucían town of Orgiva. The brainchild of yoga teachers Rosie and Jonji Miles, KaliYoga focuses on the artful rejuvenation of mind and body. The center draws eclectic and accomplished women in their 30, 40s, and 50s aiming to clock some ‘me time’ as a soothing antidote to juggling busy careers with child rearing. Speciality themed weeks include the Dynamic Relax Week and Superfood Cleanse Week. Regardless of the focus, you’ll find plenty of cleaning juices and a surfeit of antioxidants on the mostly raw, vegetarian menu. Accommodation choices range from teepees to single, twin, and double rooms, each with shared outdoor showers with jaw dropping views of the surrounding countryside.

From $1,200 per person for six nights all inclusive (airport transfers, all meals, and yoga instruction) on a KaliYoga week in Spain. The company also runs retreats in France and Italy.